The snow king is away, and Ling zhi has to supervise the construction of the new palace outside of the city. She is worried that the project will be delayed, that people will starve, and that there will be a war between the emperor and the emperor's dowager. She tells the workers to gather all of the women of the harem, and then she tells them to wait in her room. She says that if the emperor cannot control the situation outside the city, then he will have the excuse to attack the emperor. She also says that the war dogs have been locked in cages and that consort yun has been grounded. The other women are still asleep, and they are safe. The workers are afraid that the mobs will attack them, but they step back. The maids of consort are coming to them, and the snow king has gone away. He will save her.